Improvement in opera-chairs



W. HYLAND.

OPERA-CHAIR. N0.175,35Z. Pal-sated March 28,1876.

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NJHERS. PHOTO-LITHQGRAPNER, WASHXNGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT CFFIGE WILLIAM HYLAND, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN OPERA-CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,352, dated March 28, 1876; application filed February 21, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HYLAND, a resident of the city of New Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Opera-Chairs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and correct description of the same,'reference being had to the annexed drawing, making a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the construction of chairs, whereby a'siugle stand is made to support two seats, either or both of which may be folded upward against the sides of the said stand, and thereby occupy but very little space.

My improved chairs are especially adapted for use in theaters and other like buildings, in which they should be placed in rows at a distance apart between the standards equal to that of the width of two seats, in order that when the said seats are dropped down their t uter edges may impinge against each other, and thus present a continuous length of seats, which, in turn, could as readily be turned up and folded against the snpporting-staiul, and thus convert the interior of the building into tun um erable aisles.

On the drawing, Figure 1 represents my invention with one of the seats folded up against the side of the stand, while the seat on the opposite side of the same is let down, as when ieady for occupancy. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a row of seats.

A is the stand, which is made of cast-iron or any other suitable material. The base of the said stand may be constructed so as to slide in a shoe, 1, previously secured to the iloor of the building; or, if preferred, the stand may be secured by bolting the same directly to the floor. B B are seats hinged to the stand, as shown at I) b. O is the back of the seat, which is secured to the rear of the:

upper portion of the stand by means of the pin 0. Upon the outer side of the said seat is attached an arm, D, the lower portion of which is secured, by pins d, to the said seat, while the upper rear portion is pivoted to the back in such a manner that when the seat is turned up or folded against the stand, the said back, as Well as the outer arm, will fold with the same. To support the weight of the outer end of the sea-t1 construct a brace, which consists, as shown on the drawing, of two rods, 0 and f, the upper ends of which are secured to the bottom of the seat, near its outer edge, by means of articulating joints, while their lower ends are secured to a sleeve, 9, which slides on the rod h. The said rod is secured to the stand at its upper and lower ends in such a manner that when the chair-seat is dropped down for use the sleeve 9 will be at the bottom of the rod, and resting upon that portion of the chair-stand to which the said rod is attached.

Should it be deemed desirable, catches may be secured to the stand tohold the seats in their folded posit-ions.

Thus it will be seen that in a theater or other hall the standards with seats attached can 'be 'so arranged that when the seats are thrown down they will form continuous rows, and which, when thrown up against the standards, will provide innumerable aisles--if desired, an aisle between each row of standards.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a suitable-frame, the 'seat B, arm D, and back 0, the same being connected as shown, to either open or fold simultaneously, and by a single movement,

substantially as described.

2. A folding chair consisting of the frame A, seat B, back 0, arm D, braces e f, sleeve 9, and rod h, the whole beingconstructed, combined, and arranged to operate substantially as described.

3. The arrangement shown and described of the two independent standards or frames A, having the seats B B pivoted to their adjacent sides, and supported by the braces cf, and having backs O and arms 1), whereby, when said seats are open, they shall form continuous rows or benches, and when folded shall att'ord aisles for ingress and egress, substantially as described.

WM. HYLAND.

Witnesses:

H. N. JENKINS, T. .J. ROAGH. 

